白山黑水

Chinese

Changbai Mountain Heilong Jiang
simp. and trad.
(白山黑水)
白山 黑水

Etymology

白山 (Báishān, literally “white mountains”) refers to 長白山/长白山 (Chángbáishān, “Changbai Mountain”), while 黑水 (Hēishuǐ, literally “black waters”) refers to the Songhua (Sungari) River, historically referred to as 混同江. First attested in the History of Jin:

生女直地有混同江、長白山,混同江亦號黑龍江,所謂「白山、黑水」是也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
生女直地有混同江、长白山,混同江亦号黑龙江,所谓「白山、黑水」是也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: 1344 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Jin
Shēngnǚzhí dì yǒu Hùntóngjiāng, Chángbáishān, Hùntóngjiāng yì hào Hēilóngjiāng, suǒwèi “báishān, hēishuǐ” shìyě. [Pinyin]
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Pronunciation


Idiom

白山黑水

  1. (figurative) Northeast China
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